Improvement in portable picket-fences



AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER L. THORP, OF VANDALIA, MICHIGAN.

MPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE PlCKET-FENCES.\

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,1165, dated July 17, 1866.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER L. THORP, of Vandalia, Cass county, State ot Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Picket-Felices; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sntcient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly aliipertains to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

The nature of my invention and improvements consists in constructing round slots in the rails of a portable picket-fence, whereby, upon the introduction of square pickets therein, the air is permitted to circulate in the open space therearound, so as to dry them sooner than otherwise in damp or wet weather, and thereby prevent their decaying, which result tends to preserve them for a longer period ot' time, and thus secure and render them more durable in closer-fitting holes, as well as enable them to be inserted and removed from the holes in the rails with facility.

My invention further consists in the manner of conne'cting the rails so as to forni a coiltinuous ,line ot' fencing, and the adaptation ot' the same to uneven surfaces of ground that may appear in the course of its location, by the construction of round and oblong slots near the junction of the ends of the rails, whereby, when the rails are lapped, the one over the other, apicketis inserted in the holes thus brought together, and the sections ot' the fencing are thereby made secure in their counections, and the oblong slots through which it passes allowing a free play to it therein, longitudinally speaking, as to enable the fence to adapt itseltl to the irregularities of the ground, as above remarked.

The figures in the drawings illustrate my improved fence fully, as follows, viz: Figure l, section o't' the fencing; Fig. 2, vertical section ot' picket anda portion of top and bottom rails, as indicated by the line m y in Fig. 3, showing the manner of connecting the rails by the picket; Fig. 3, horizontal section of picket and portion of rail, as indicated by the line op in Fig. 2, showing the oblong slot clearly; Fig. 4, top View of a portion of rail and pickets; Fin'. 5, view of cross-pieces for supporting the fence.

Like letters in all figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

To enable anyone skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction.

A are the rails; B, square pickets C, crosspieces for supporting the felice.

The round slots a, as constructed in the rails, and the arrangementot' the pickets therein are seen clearly in Fig. 4.

rIhe fence is made in sections of a suitable length, and connected together by the ends of the upper and lower rails ot' one section lapping over the rails ot' the other, and a picket, b, passed through slots made in them, (see Figs. l and 2,) thus coupling the sections to,- gether in a secure manner.

The slots in the under and upper rails of one section, and in the top and bottom rails otl the other, and through which the picket above mentioned passes, are made oblong, c, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and of a size sut'cient to allow the felice to adapt itself longitudinally to uneven surfaces of ground that may appear in the course of its location, as hereinbefore alluded to.

The cross-pieces for supporting the felice are made in the manner seen in Fig. 5, with an opening, d, at the apex ot them, and another, d', at the bottom transverse brace-piece, in which the rails at the point of connection between-the sections ofthe fencing. (See D l), in Fig. l.) To keep the fence steady and secure from being blown down by wind, Qr otherwise, the cross pieces are tapered to a point (see dotted lines in Fig. 5) and driven into the ground.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

rIhe slots a in the rails A, as constructed, and the picket b, as arranged therein, in combination with the cross-pieces D, as constructed, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

ALEXANDER L. THORP.

Witnesses:

LEANDER OsBoRNE, J AMES H. BUXroN. 

